WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST

About the role

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is ranked within the top 5 mid-size agencies as a "Best Place to Work" in the Federal government! This WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST position is located in the Office of Office of Energy Projects For more information visit: Office of Energy Projects (OEP) | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

What you will do

• Evaluating complex and diverse wildlife, plant, terrestrial ecology, marine biology, and terrestrial and marine environment related matters.
• Coordinating the activities of multidisciplinary teams assigned the responsibility of preparing NEPA documents associated with Commission action Writing NEPA documents, letters, biological assessments and participating in meetings.

Education

This position has an education requirement and therefore, transcripts are required.

Failure to submit a copy of your transcripts at the time of application will result in your application being marked incomplete and you will not receive further consideration.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis.

If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses to the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Your application will be evaluated under the Category Rating method based on your assessments.

You will receive a score based on the responses to the assessment questions.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and assessment score will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories: Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: ***

Documents you must provide

• Failure to submit all required documentation by the closing date of this vacancy announcement, including adhering to the maximum two-page resume requirement, will result in removal from consideration and loss of any special hiring preference (e.g., veterans' preference, ICTAP/CTAP eligibility, Schedule A).
• REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ALL CANDIDATES: RESUME (maximum of 2 pages in length): Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire.
• You must ensure it contains the following information for each experience/position: Position title Name of employer Beginning and ending dates of employment (Month/Day/Year format) Hours worked per week Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying based on your education, you must list your education history, including the type of degree and your major of study.
• VACANCY QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit and complete the online eligibility and vacancy questions.
• TRANSCRIPTS (only required when the position has an education requirement, or you are qualifying for the position based on your education): You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts to verify your education.
• Unofficial copies are acceptable; however, if selected you will be required to provide official transcripts before your effective date.
• OPTIONAL DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS: VETERANS'PREFERENCE (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
• Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an "Application for 10-point Veteran Preference" (SF-15), along with official VA letter and the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form.
• For more information about veterans' preference, visit: ***
• CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (CTAP)/INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed.
• To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated "Well Qualified" for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility.
• For more information about CTAP/ICTAP, visit: ***
• The following documents are required: Reduction in Force or RIF notice - written notice of your expected separation, or other documentation of priority consideration status; Latest SF-50 noting your current position, grade level, and duty location; Last performance appraisal, including your rating; and Any documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential.
• Schedule A eligibility (applicants with disabilities): The federal government has a streamlined hiring process for individuals with disabilities, known as Schedule A.
• For more information about Schedule A and eligibility requirements, visit: ***

What to expect next

Once your complete application is received, we will conduct an evaluation of your qualifications and determine your ranking. You will be notified of the status of your application up to four times throughout the application process, via your USAJOBS dashboard.

To verify the status of your application, both during and after the announcement open period, log on to your USAJOBS account. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an option to "Track this application." Your "Applicant status" will also appear along with the dates you applied to this position and when your application was last updated.

To learn more about your specific job status and how this helps you track jobs and applications visit: *** Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement.

More than one selection for similar positions may be made from this announcement and the program office for that selection may vary. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).

Additional information

The duty location of this position is Washington DC. When promotion potential is shown, future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

If selected for this position, you will be required to: Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment. Have your Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choice.

Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. FERC also participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

For more information about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: *** Attend a mandatory ethics training.

We are governed by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Standards of Conduct, the criminal conflict of interest statutes, and FERC's supplemental ethics regulation, which specifically prohibits FERC employees from holding certain energy-related securities.

To comply with these regulations and statutes, divestiture of at least some energy securities is likely to be required after you begin employment. See 5 C.F.R. 2634-41; 18 U.S.C.

201-208; 5 C.F.R. 3401. If selected, you may also be required to file a financial disclosure statement within 30 days of appointment.

Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a one-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.